I’ve mentioned that I have an impulse-control problem. Case in point: I took a short break from the job I’m actually being paid to do so I could check my NCS e-mail, and I saw the name Beyond Creation in a press release I got, and the short break turned into a long break. You may remember Beyond Creation — a Montreal band whose Marco Hasmann album cover for their 2011 debut, The Aura, lured us into checking out the music in one of our EYE-CATCHERS posts (here). To quote myself (because if I don’t, who else will?):
“We’re too lazy to keep Best of the Year lists, but if we did, I’m pretty sure The Aura would be in my personal Top 20, maybe my Top 10. . . Beyond Creation is a head-spinning trip like few bands you’ll hear this year.”
What I learned in the press release from Ricburn Media were three things: First, there’s a Toronto death-metal band called Nephelium who will be releasing their new album, Coils of Entropy, on August 20. Second, to celebrate the event, Nephelium is headlining a CD release show in Toronto on the same day, with support from (you guessed it) Beyond Creation, as well as two other Toronto bands, Nexortus and Fragile Existence. Third, to celebrate the event, the four bands on the bill teamed up to make available a free digital split via Bandcamp, consisting of one song from each band.
I just like everything about the way this is being done, but most especially, I like the idea of offering a free digital comp to promote a metal show — one song from each band. IMHO, the same idea would work just as well for tours, too. In addition to helping spotlight the show, it also uses the show to help introduce fans to the bands’ music. (more after the jump . . .)
As for the music, I already know and love the Beyond Creation contribution, “Omnipresent Perception”. The Nephelium song, “Merciless Annihilation” is . . . a motherfucking merciless annihilation — a fast-moving blast wave of hot shrapnel, with brutally addictive rhythms, flashy guitar leads and solos, and vocals that sound like a convention of demons. Truly overpowering shit. (You see what I mean about this split being a crafty idea? I’m already mighty interested in Nephelium because of it.)
The song from Fragile Existence (“Honour Among Thieves”) turns out to be my style, too. More fast-paced death metal, witha pleasing combination of rapidly slamming riffs and spinning guitar solos. And the Nexortus track? You might be able to take a cue from the song title: “The Inverted Cross”. More high-speed? Check. More septic brutality? Check. More flame-spitting guitar solos? Check again.
In a nutshell, there’s a better than even chance that listening to this 4-way split will turn your brain to goo, or at least lead to post-traumatic shock syndrome. You can stream all this tasty nastiness below, and you can GO HERE to download the split.
17 Responses to “NOW THIS IS HOW TO DO A CD RELEASE SHOW”
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I know a few other tours have offered samplers; Ferret Music had one for In Flames’ Come Clarity tour in 2006 (iI got mine with an issue of Metal Edge, not sure if it was available anywhere else), featuring two songs each from In Flames, Trivium, Devildriver and Zao, plus three bonus tracks from other Ferret Music acts (Every Time I Die, A Life Once Lost, Scarlet). It’s a decent way to introduce fans to music from other bands on the bill.
Of course, if NCS makes a sampler for the Fucking Good Pancake tour, I think you have to go with a CD shaped like a phallic symbol, or maybe try to make an actual pancake that you can play on a turntable. That’d be interesting to work with.
Especially if you could then eat the sampler after giving it a good listen.
And to be clear, I’m talking about the pancake idea.
The bass on that Beyond Creation track is… I don’t have a word for it. It’s noodly.
I’m similarly challenged in trying to describe it (you should hear the rest of the album — it gets even more difficult). But noodly makes me think of noodles, even though I know that’s not what the word is supposed to signify, and this is anything but limp.
Noodly works, I suppose. Certainly not of the limp variety and fortunately the bassist isn’t trying to pull off some neo-classical shred in the midst of the rest of the music. I like that it’s something a bit different (and audible too), although the bass solo between those from the guitars does seem out of place. Doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s a good song, though.
Holy. Fucking. Good. PANCAKES!!!
Every song on that sampler was just…pants-shittingly amazing.
Seriouly. I need new pants….
Now that would really be a marketing first — a pre-show sampler, plus pants. Maybe with a slogan on the ass part of the pants, like “I SHIT MYSELF OVER NEPHELIUM.”
Better than just putting fucking “Juicy” on there.
Seriously. What is grosser than a “juicy” ass??? Why are their asses even “juicy”??? Did they eat a fruit juice smoothy that had gone bad and now have the angry demon shits????
Yeah, and think about you being a daddy and having your teenage daughter walking out of the house with some shorts that say “Juicy” on the butt. I think I’d be happier if I had a daughter wearing some shorts that said “Nephelium made me shit my other shorts”.
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…
…
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The phrase “think about you being a daddy” made me dry heave until a testicle popped out of my mouth and swam around in the toilet. Fortunately, I was able to get it back where I *think* it belongs after the spins went away.
You fucking asshole.
VAGOOOOOOOO VAGOOOOOOOOO VAGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Well shit, you made me laugh until I prolapsed.
Please don’t say vagoo again.
Okay, we’re even, I forgive you.
I mean, it’s not like I could stay mad at you anyway, seeing as you rule the website with the keys to my heart.
And such sexy arms too!!!
Is meat sock better than the vag word?
ANGRY DEMON SHITS
I don’t know why I love that horrible tone that a lot of extreme technical bands use, but I do. Doesn’t beat Rings of Saturn though.
🙂 Horrible Tone would be a good band name. I do like Rings of Saturn, although so far I’ve only heard a couple of the songs on their facebook player. I need to give them a more serious listen.
That bass tone in beyond creations tune comes from using an equilizer of some sort or perhaps just the amp dials itself and setting the mid and hi range frequencies higher than normal on bass so that they tone cuts through. He uses a fretless bass as well which are usually strung up with strings more similar to classical string instruments and those definitly add to the fluidity of the sound, or noodly as its been named.
theres a sweet video of him playing the song on youtube
Hey, thanks for that bit of education. And that video is a kick to watch. For everyone else:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrwWBFp91U0